American Handgunner Sept/Oct 2012 Digital Edition - Page 64

no BuLL s.i.c.k. leo tttk BLAdes pat coVert photos: chuck pittmaN s.i.c.k. ! TRaCe RInaldI’s CusTom Blades: sTandIng The TesT of TIme W 64 hen we first featured custom knifemaker Trace Rinaldi in these pages 10 years ago he was just a young upstart trying to break into an already crowded field of artisans. Most were riding the tactical wave jumpstarted by the first Gulf War. Back then we used these words to sum up the young knifemaker’s wares: “Straight and simple, Trace makes knives meant to be used. These are edged implements that can turn the average Walter Mitty into a human thresher.” Since our last visit Trace’s career has gone through some major changes, so we thought it would be interesting to go back and give our readers an update. One thing that hasn’t changed is the “no bull” style you’ll find in every one of Trace’s knives. His knives don’t mince words, just everything that gets in their path. Like most successful knifemakers Trace has continued to improve the quality of his craftsmanship and take advantage of new cutting edge technology, but his penchant for building no-nonsense knives is rooted in his past. “I grew up on a farm in rural southern California,” says Trace, “and knives were always tools and prized possessions to me. My love for firearms actually sparked my interest in making knives. Reading American Handgunner since I was a teen, I always wanted WWW.AMERICANHANDGUNNER.COM • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER2012